The Big Business with Groundwater

KOH SAMUI: Koh Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao suffer from water shortages mainly during the extremely dry months from February to May.

Many wells have dried up, the Provincial Water Department (PWA) of Koh Samui must find solutions on how to save water. Although the forests of the island have abundant groundwater reserves, low water can become a threat.

For years local profiteers plunder the water reservoirs. This year it is particularly extreme because of the long dry period and because many hotels and villas do not have sufficient water stored in their water tanks. Hundreds of deep wells were drilled illegally, from there the water trucks take the water 24 hours a day to deliver around the island. Many places with legal wells are left dry because of the pumping out of millions of gallons of water which has lowered the ground water level. This is a million dollar business for these unscrupulous entrepreneurs.

The island administration “Tesaban” with Mayor Ramnate Jaikwang was not able to something against the local profiteers yet. They have tried to extend the water reservoirs in the hope to take the illegal water suppliers out of business, however this did not work so far.